Our columnist looks forward to Saturday's King George

KING GEORGE THOUGHTS – CAN ENABLE DO BETTER THAN OH SO SHARP?

The first King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes I ever watched in the flesh was the 1985 renewal.

Slip Anchor, the runaway winner of the Derby the previous month, was out injured. But there was still much to get excited about as his brilliant stablemate and already dual Classic winner, Oh So Sharp, was there and, just like Enable 32 years on, the race looked hers for the taking.

Having extended her unbeaten record to six on the back of her six-length thumping of Triptych in the Oaks, Steve Cauthen’s mount was 4/5 favourite to succeed against the likes of the Irish Derby winner Law Society (3/1) and the top older horse Rainbow Quest (12/1).

She beat them both but, stunningly, had to settle for second place behind the unexposed three-year-old Petoski, ridden by Willie Carson, who sprung a 12/1 surprise. It was hard to accept the evidence of your own eyes but clearly Petoski, who never raced again, was brilliant that day.

Enable was a similarly dominant Epsom Oaks winner who has since doubled up in much the same style at the Curragh, so can she succeed where Oh So Sharp failed?

Since she was confirmed for the race, Enable’s price has tumbled and it is easy to see her going off at around even-money come Saturday afternoon. (Whether she goes off as short as Oh So Sharp, however, remains to be seen).

How good are this year’s middle-distance fillies? Time told us that Triptych was top class but are those fillies that have been beaten easily by Enable out of the same drawer?

In 1985, Oh So Sharp received 16lb from the older male horses and that has been recently adjusted to just 14lb these days. Enable’s stablemate and fellow Oaks winner Taghrooda got 15lb from the runner-up Telescope when winning this in 2014 to become the first Epsom heroine to succeed since Pawneese in 1976.

History tells you that this is no easy task facing Enable. Remember that the new weight-for-age scale ultimately had a say in Barney Roy just failing to beat Ulysses in the Eclipse.

The pressure is on for Frankie Dettori to make 8st 7lb but he is too much of a professional not to hit the scales at the correct weight, even if he has done very little race riding since his Yarmouth accident.

Another factor is the ground which looks like being the softest she has raced on to date, although her nearest relatives would not have been inconvenienced by it, so this may not be a valid concern.

But, having never forgotten what happened to Oh So Sharp, I feel inclined to seek an alternative to Enable, as brilliant as she has looked this summer.

First, there’s the defending champion Highland Reel to get past. This tough-as-teak veteran is on the verge of becoming the biggest earning racehorse ever seen in Europe.

But the unsettled forecast must be a concern, with the going already described as good to soft. All six of his Group One wins have come on good or faster going. On ground with genuine cut in it, he just isn’t as effective as we saw in Dubai’s Sheema Classic when he was last behind Jack Hobbs in March.

Interestingly, younger brother Idaho seems to handle both quick and slower ground, but is he quite good enough?

Jack Hobbs looked most ill at ease on the quick surface behind Highland Reel in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and his win in Dubai had been impressive. His third in last October’s QIPCO Champion Stakes – behind Almanzor and Found – also reads very well - a fine run over an inadequate mile and a quarter.

Overall though, is Jack a more vulnerable specimen since hurting his pelvis when pulled up at Newmarket in April, 2016?

Ulysses, although twice behind Highland Reel in both the Breeders' Cup Turf and the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, seems to handle all types of ground though and arrives here at the top of his game. Having just held on from Barney Roy in the Eclipse, he is going to be played very late by Jim Crowley and looks sure to give backers a great run for Sir Michael Stoute.

However, if there is going to be a “Petoski” in the line-up, look no further than Benbatl. 

Petoski was a well-held 11th in the Derby, whereas Benbatl was fifth after being given so much to do. Even approaching the two-furlong pole, Benbatl was still last before making up stacks of ground, albeit without the finishing pace of Wings Of Eagles.

Having learned at Epsom, he showed what he was made of in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot and, having handled a soft surface when runner-up in the Dante, he looks ready to shine on this return to a mile and a half. 

Unraced at two, I think there is more to come from Saeed Bin Suroor’s colt and he too rates a good each-way shout. 

Enable may end up winning but both Ulysses and Benbatl offer some decent value at juicy each-way prices and, significantly, hail from stables that have won this famous race five times each.

Click here for the latest Sky Bet prices on the King George - including 20/1 on Benbatl

STALLS HANDLERS ARE PROPER HEROES

Ever since I have been involved professionally in horse racing, I have never failed to be impressed with the proficiency and skill of the teams of stalls handlers across the country.

These are the quiet men of the sport whose presence and reliability is often taken for granted. I guess as commentators, we see more of their work than most, often in close-up as we focus on the runners down at the start, usually on our TV monitors.

Sometimes, there are horses that try everything to make it difficult for them to load but 99 times out of 100, there will only be one winner in that battle. The patience of these lads must be at breaking point on occasions and remember, their work is always on the clock, too. That’s pressure.

I have seen plenty of near misses with edgy, powerful racehorses kicking out or rearing up and you hold your breath and hope (and tend to assume) that nothing horrible is going to happen.

This is why it was such a shock to hear of Stephen Yarborough’s passing at Haydock last Friday. And it wasn’t even caused by a horse. I found the news of this dreadful accident so ironic as well as being obviously both shocking and sad. Stephen was evidently one of the good guys, too, a really popular and senior member of the team.

It must have been terribly distressing to his colleagues, friends and family.

Stephen’s name should not be forgotten and Haydock would be well advised to introduce a race to be run in his memory.

UNFORTUNATELY MAY PROVE WELL NAMED

The Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on Sunday was an all-round strange race. 

First of all, I fully expected Heartache to win following her blistering effort in the Queen Mary. But, she laboured home in third place.

And then, in spite of edging into High Dream Milena and causing her to lose momentum – a classic misdemeanour under the French rules – the Karl Burke-trained Unfortunately kept the race after the stewards had had a look, even though winning jockey Tony Piccone was hit with a ban.

The officials reasoned that Criquette Head’s filly “lacked the resources to advance.” I am not so sure as she finished the race closing down fast on the first three and doing all that on the bridle.

This was an almost British-like decision in that it seemed to follow the British rules. Let the winner keep the race and penalise the rider. I fully expected Unfortunately to be placed behind High Dream Milena and the race awarded to Frozen Angel.

It comes as little surprise to hear that High Dream Milena’s team is appealing and, although the Burke team will not want to hear this, I suspect it will not be in vain.